his land would labour for
more knowledge, and more love of the truth, without which they may easily
be deceived, audled into tentation, and would learn to distinguish betwixt
the shew and power of godlinesse. We know that there be many in _England_
who be truly godly, and mourn with us for all the errours and abominations
that are in that land, But it is without controversie, that that Spirit
which hath acted in the Courses and Counsels of these, who have retarded
and obstructed the work of God, dispised the Covenant, forced the
Parliament, murthered the King, changed the civill Government, and
established so vast a Toleration in Religion, cannot be the Spirit of
Righteousnesse and Holinesse, because it teaches not men to live godly and
righteously, but drawes them aside into errour and make them to bring
forth the bitter fruits of impiety and iniquity and therefore ought to be
avoyded. And not only are such of our Nation as travaile in our
Neighbour-land, to take heed unto themselves that they receive not
infection from such as are leavened with Errour, but these also who live
at home, especially in those places where Sectaries, upon pretext of
merchandise, and other civill imployments, ordinarily traffique and
converse. Neither needs any man to be afraid of the power and successe of
that party, Neither needs any man to be afraid of the power and successe
of that party, they who have gadded about so much to change their way,
shall ere long be ashamed; The Lord hath rejected their confidences, and
they shall not prosper in them; How farre they may proceed in their
Resolutions and Actings against this Kingdome, is in the hand of the most
high; If the Lord shall suffer that party to invade this land, it may be
the comfort and incouragement of all the inhabitints thereof, that not
only hath that unlawfull engagement against the Kingdom of _England_ been
declared against, and condemned both by Kirk and State; but also that
these men can pretend no quarrell against us, unlesse it be, that we have
adhered unto the Solemn League and Covenant, from which they have so
foully revolted and backslidden; and that we have borne testimony against
Toleration, and their proceedings in reference to Religion and Government,
and the taking away of the Kings life: And therefore we trust that in such
a case none will be so farre deficient in their duty as not to defend
themselves against such injust violence, and in the strength of the Lord
to